Cardinals Prospect Interview: Xavier Scruggs

Brian Walton

04/21/2015

The power-hitting first baseman is building his defensive versatility while working to return to St. Louis.

The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced success in recent years in both scouting and later developing later-round draft picks that eventually reach the majors and contribute in St. Louis. Recent examples include Trevor Rosenthal (21st round), Matt Adams (23rd) and Kevin Siegrist (41st).

Another joined them for the first time late last season, first baseman Xavier Scruggs. The 27-year-old was drafted by St. Louis in the 19th round in 2008 and made his MLB debut over six years later, on September 4, 2014.

Following the season, Scruggs honored a prior commitment to play winter ball, where he worked on his overall game, including time in the outfield. He also appeared in the outfield a bit in 2015 Major League camp and has already made one start in left for the Memphis Redbirds this season.

At the plate, Memphis’ number five hitter is leading the club in home runs with four and RBI with 11 in 11 games. Those totals tie Scruggs for second and ninth, respectively, in the Pacific Coast League.

In the following interview, Scruggs catches us up on his progress made since last August and closes with a reminder that even with the changes, his goal remains the same – reaching St. Louis.